"Freedom of speech is a treasured characteristic of a civilised society. But great freedoms involve great responsibilities. And an obligation of free speech is that you do not gratuitously insult those with whom you disagree."

Roger Scruton: "Society takes a step towards totalitarianism, while silencing the debate that it most needs now to have - the debate concerning the terms on which Muslims, Christians, Jews and unbelievers can coexist as citizens."

THE SUN

"The cartoons are intended to insult Muslims, and the Sun can see no justification for causing deliberate offence to our much-valued Muslim readers. The Sun believes passionately in free speech, but that does not mean we need to jump on someone else's bandwagon to prove we will not be intimidated."

Anila Baig: "Of course, we live in a free society, but what about responsibility and respect? When Muslims complained about the first set of pictures, whey were those same cartoons republished?"

THE TIMES

"This newspaper has had anguish of its own over whether to reproduce the pictures at the centre of this saga. But to duplicate these cartoons several months after they were printed also has an element of exhibitionism to it."

THE GUARDIAN

"Newspapers are not obliged to publish offensive materials merely because it is controversial ... the restraint of most of the British press may be the wiser course - at least for now."

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

"The Daily Telegraph has chosen not to publish the cartoons. We prefer not to cause gratutious offence to some of our readers, a policy we also apply, for example, to pictures of graphic nudity or violence ... Those Muslims who cannot tolerate the openness of intellectual debate in the west have perhaps chosen to live in the wrong culture."

THE INDEPENDENT

"There is a right to exercise an uncensored pen. But there is also a right for people to exist in a secular pluralist society without feeling as alienated, threatened and routinely derided as many Muslims now do. To elevate one right above all others is the hallmark of a fanatic."

FINANCIAL TIMES

"As Amin Maalouf, the Franco-Lebanese writer, put it: 'Christianity today is what European societies have made of it ... through countless little touches of the chisel' ... we should keep that chisel in mind in dealing with Islam, and beware of the hammer."